Nozzle construction for textile machinery cleaning apparatus



3,003,177 NERY Oct. 10, 1961 KENJl HIJIYA NOZZLE CONSTRUCTION FOR TEXTILE MACHI irJ INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent "6 This invention relates to an improvementin cleanmg apparatus for textile machinery and, more particularly, to an improved nozzle means'for such cleaning ap- .paratus.

Known apparatus for cleaning textile machinery comprises a nozzle or air discharge pipe carried by a suitable carriage. The nozzle is generally made of steel and so positioned and oriented that it will not interfere with the operator of the machine or with operation of the machine. For thisreason, the nozzles have been arranged above the head of the machine operator.

In another known form of cleaning apparatus, several discharge nozzles or. pipes are provided and which are constructed from both flexible and rigid materials. However, since it is not possible to conform the discharge nozzle of either of the above types of cleaning apparatus to the sur face to be cleaned, a relatively high velocity discharge is used in order to direct cleaning air against the surface to be cleaned from a nozzle which is spaced considerably from such surface and to assure that the air reachesinto all corners and crevices of such surface. The use of air at relatively high velocities is disadvantageous, as it results in ballooning of thread on the textile machinery to such an extent that breakage or irregular twisting of the thread is liable to occur. Additionally, Waste cotton, lint, and other dust maybe raised from the floor by the high velocity cleaning air.

In manufacturing the second type or blow cleaner nozzle mentioned above, due to the complications involved in making the nozzles from both elastic materials and relatively rigid materials, it is necessary to assure air tightness of the elastic or flexible portion by means of impregnating the material thereof with suitable substances, and additionally to build in fixed support means, such as rings, to keep the nozzles open. Due to such complications in construction, the cost of manufacture is relatively high.

One object of this invention is to provide a blow cleaner nozzle means whereby uniform air jets may be directed always to the surface to be cleaned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a blow cleaner nozzle means having none of the aforementioned disadvantageous influences relative ballooning of thread.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a blow cleaner nozzle means which does not blow up waste cotton and dust on the floor.

Further another object of this invention is to provide a blow cleaner nozzle means which may be manufactured inexpensively and is easily packed, stored and handled.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided at least an inflatable bag-like member of a flexible material such as vinyl resin, polyethylene, or other soft synthetic resin, or equivalents thereof which may store up air to be jetted and which is contoured longitudinally to the extent that, when inflated, over at least the major portion of its length it conforms to the overall vertical contour of the side of the machinery frame to be cleaned. The bag-like member is provided with a plurality of nozzles arranged and directed so as to blow cleaning air on any necessary part of the surface to be cleaned. The sum total cross-sectional area of the nozzles of the bag-like member is restricted so as to be 3,003,177 Faiented Oct. 10, 1961 smaller than the cross-sectional area of the mouth of the bag-like member.

The invention will be better understood and other objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, and the scope of the invention will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a textile machine provided with cleaning apparatus embodying the invention;

' FIG. 2is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a duct and carriage forming part of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the textile machinery and cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the machinery and cleaning apparatus showing the nozzle means in operation.

Referring now to the drawings, the nozzle means is shown deflated in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 3 and inflated in dot-and-dash lines in these figures. In accordance with the invention, a duct 2 is fixed on a textile machine 1 so as to be arranged above surfaces 1' to be cleaned. A longitudinal opening provided in the top side of the duct 2 is normally closed by means of two elastic plates 2' so as to retain air supplied from a source of high pressure air, within the duct 2. The flexible plates 2' have their upper edges secured to the lower wall of the chamber 3 and normally have their depending portions juxtaposed to form an air-tight seal for duct 2;, this being shown in dotted outline in FIG. 2. A carriage 3 having a depending air inlet 3' is mounted on the duct 2 in .such a manner that the air inlet 3 is inserted betweenthe two elastic plates 2' of the duct 2 so that the carriage 3 may be supplied air under pressure from duct 2 through air inlet 3'. Leakage of air from duct 2 The carriage 3 is adapted to be transferable shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cooperation of the elastic plates 2 with the air inlet 3' provides for movement of the carriage 3 along the duct 2 without loss of air from the duct. The carriage 3 is provided with two air outlets, one at the front thereof and one at the rear thereof. Each air outlet has secured thereto the mouth of a nozzle means, in the form of a bag-like member 4, so that the nozzle means is supplied with air under pressure from the duct 2.

The nozzle means 4 is made of vinyl resin and adapted to be inflated by air. It has a longitudinal contour such that, when inflated, it conforms substantially to the vertical contour of the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle means is provided with a plurality of perforations or orifices so as to discharge the air contained within the nozzle member through such orifices and onto the surface to be cleaned. The total sectional area of the perforations is restricted to an extent smaller than the sectional area of the mouth of the member 4, or the air outlet of the carriage 3, so that the member 4- may be inflated by the air supplied from the air duct 2 through its mouth. The perforations are arranged in a vertical row, in general, so as to direct the individual air jets to each location of the surface of the textile machine to be cleaned as shown in FIG. 4. When the nozzle means 4 is deflated, it may be easily packed, stored or handled by virtue of the flexibility of the material from which it is constructed. When the nozzle means is inflated during a cleaning operation by the air under pressure from the duct 2, the member 4 is too flexible to injure an operator or other obstacles which accidentally strike the member 4. Ac-

cordingly, it is possible to design the member 4 to be long enough to deliver the air jet to every part of the surface to be cleaned.

By virtue of the inflation, under pressure, of the nozzle member 4, the several discharge jets are at the same pressure irrespective of whether or not the jet is located at the upper part of the nozzle means or at the lower part thereof. It is also possible to jet air through any required perforation in any required direction under the same pressure by means of providing a perforation directed as required. Since it is possible to design the member 4 in such a shape that the wall thereof may approach the surface to be cleaned as near as possible during inflation of member 4, it becomes possible to blow more effectively only the required location of the-surface to be cleaned without such undesirable influences on the spinning operation as ballooning of the thread. In addition, it becomes possible to reduce the power required to produce the air jet by virtue of such a design as above. In accordance with this invention, only one member may serve for cleaning the entire surface of one side of the textile machine not having any dead angle. Thereby, the

air discharge pressure and thus the air velocity may be kept uniform at all times as compared with known systems including a plurality of nozzle means which further tend to be unsightly in appearance.

In the drawings numerals 10, 1'1, and 12 designated for creels, rollers, and spindles, respectively.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement disclosed but that the apjpended claims are intended to cover all modifications which do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In cleaning apparatus, for textile machinery and the like, of the type including a carriage movable along the frame of the machinery and having a chamber formed with air inlet and outlet means, nozzle means connected to the air outlet means and extending downwardly along 3,oos,177

at least one side of the frame, the nozzle means having openings for directing cleaning air jets onto selected portions of the machineryfand means for continuously supplying air under pressure to the chamber air inlet means during movement of the carriage along the frame: the improvement comprising a nozzle means in the form of a. relatively elongated, fully collapsible, bag of substantially air-tight flexible material formed with an inlet opening for attachment to such chamber outlet means and with plural relatively small discharge openings oriented to direct cleaning air jets onto selected portions of the machinery; said bag being imperforate except for said inlet opening and said discharge openings; the

combined area of said discharge openings being less than that of said inlet opening; whereby said bag will be infiated during supply of air under pressure to said inlet opening; said bag being contoured longitudinally thereof to the extent that, over at least the major portion of its length, the bag, when so inflated, conforms to the overall vertical contour of the side of the machinery frame along which it extends substantially vertically.

2. A nozzle means as defined in claim 1, wherein said discharge openings are substantially aligned longitudinally of the bag.

3. A nozzle means as defined in claim 1, wherein the axes of the several discharge openings are at difierent angles to the horizontal when the bag is inflated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,524,797 Holtzclaw Oct. 10, 1950 2,585,776 Hermanek Feb. 12, 1952 2,634,560 Ramm Apr. 14, 1953 2,931,061 Holtzclaw Apr. 5, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 1,095,102 France Dec. 15, 1954 1,161,7A9 France Mar. 17, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Textile World, March 1957, Adv. by Parks-Cramer, page 91. 

